A Magical First Visit to Walt Disney World
As a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder I visit the parks several times a year. But recently I had one of the most extraordinary visits ever! Most of us can remember our first visit. Mine was at the age of 8 and it was very overwhelming. Back then you had to choose which attractions you would use your tickets for in each land. I can still remember my amazement at the Country Bear Jamboree and the Carousel of Progress. But to be honest, my strongest memory is the exhaustion at the end of the day! I remember riding the Ferry Boat back to the Ticket and Transportation Center and feeling like I couldn’t stand on my feet for another minute! It was July, so the heat definitely had an impact!
In January I was able to relive the magic of a first visit when I brought my sister in law along for her first visit. There was a lot of pressure to plan the perfect trip for her! To help get her in the spirit I gave her a gift bag with park maps, a birthday button, our itinerary, and a countdown chain! We were also celebrating her 77th birthday on our trip. Luckily my daughter has been a Walt Disney World cast member for almost two years and had lots of insider tips to help make the trip even more magical! Tops on Betty’s list was having her picture made in front of Cinderella’s Castle. So we made sure that was the first thing we did!
Tears streamed down Betty’s face as soon as we made our first steps on Main Street. And they continued for the rest of the day! We met Mickey Mouse, Tinkerbell and the Beast while at the Magic Kingdom. They were all magical meetings! We rode through the Haunted Mansion, sang along with It’s a Small World and The Carousel of Progress, flew over London with Peter Pan, then whistled while we worked on the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train! Dinner was delicious at Be Our Guest in the Beast’s castle and meeting the Beast after dinner was about as magical as anything I’ve ever experienced at Walt Disney World! And this was just day one!
Our second day was spent at Epcot. Betty loved meeting the Chipmunks, Pluto and Mickey Mouse as we had lunch at the Garden Grill. Afterwards we soared around the world on Soarin’, took a trip back in time on the American Adventure, went under the sea with Nemo at the Living Seas and finally rode through Arendelle with Anna and Elsa!
Disney’s Hollywood Studios was our destination on day three! From the moment we stepped inside the turnstile we were greeted by the Citizens of Hollywood. They were so much fun! We laughed and laughed! It was so much fun to see one of my favorite parks like it was my first visit! Chewbacca brought tears to Betty’s eyes again! He’s definitely our favorite Wookie of all time! We ended our day at Fantasmic, which is always a perfect end to a perfect day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
Betty and I are already busy planning our next visit together! Part of the magic of a Walt Disney World vacation is that you can always find new experiences no matter how often you visit! To plan your perfect visit, whether it’s your first or 25th, visit https://disneyworld.disney.go.com
